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Rainbird 1800 vs Hardtop Obit

I was all set to buy a bunch of rainbird 1800 heads when I saw this orbit head that has a hard brass cap. Seems like a great idea since my gardener is always damaging my heads along the sidewalk. These weren't the typical cheap obit heads, I think they were about 4 bucks and seemed well made. Am I asking for trouble going with the orbits. I guess if I set the rainbird spray heads right at grade it would be harder to get damaged.

Also....are the rainbird dual spray nozzles worth the extra cost. They claim these nozzles spray two arcs ensuring better coverage close to the head. Prone to clogs?

Finally, are adjustable arc nozzles (0 to 360 degrees) reliable or should I stick with fixed arcs whenever possible?

You have answered most of your questions and I will confirm for you. Go with the rainbird heads if that is your option Vs. orbit. Set the heads correctly and it shouldn't matter what the heads are made out of. If it were such a good idea (making the heads out of a metal or stronger material) Hunter and Rainbird would be doing it too.

The adjustable nozzles are a good idea (only when absolutely necessary) otherwise go with the fixed pattern. If you need less that a 180 degree you can also use the T, and I think they have a 3/4 circle fixed pattern.

The Undercut nozzles are great in many applications, but if you design your sprinkler system to have head to head coverage you should not need the undercut or the U nozzle. They are a good fix for poorly designed systems.